--G Antoine Wright expectedly drew the toughest defensive assignment for the Mavs: trying to keep up with Spurs guard Tony Parker, who torched Dallas for an average of 31.3 points during four regular-season games.

Wright, at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, makes it strength vs. speed. Parker won out early as Wright picked up two fouls after playing just 6:01 of the first quarter. He drew a third foul early in the third quarter with Parker sitting on the bench.

Wright drew the assignment to lessen the physical burden on Jason Kidd.

"He (Parker) is extremely competitive and he's going to keep taking it at you," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "One guy's not going to stop him, just because of his quickness. It's a team responsibility."

The team effort won out. Parker finished with 24 points, but he needed 22 shots to get it.

Wright found some offense as well with six points in the fourth quarter. He'd been in a scoring funk in April as his defensive assignments toughened.

--F Josh Howard showed no signs that his cranky left ankle was giving him problems in Game 1, a positive sign for the Mavs.

Typically a hot starter, Howard wasn't on top of his game early. In the first quarter, won by the Spurs 29-18, he threw two passes into the stands and missed five of his first seven shots.

However, he heated up in the middle quarters, scoring 14 of the Mavs' 18 points during one stretch that helped them close a double-digit gap by halftime and take control in the third quarter.

"It's just us sticking together as a team, going out there and showing the world what we can do as a together squad and just staying positive," Howard said. "(We've) got to go out there and play our style of ball. Just go out and play. We know what to expect. Tough team, tough environment."

Howard finished with 25 points and four rebounds. But the best news of the night was that Mavs coach Rick Carlisle held him to under 30 minutes. Howard did not play down the stretch in the fourth quarter as the Mavs held off the Spurs.

--F Brandon Bass single-handedly kept the Mavericks in Game 1 with a sensational second quarter.

He had 10 points at halftime and made four of his first five shots, much of the time with Dirk Nowitzki on the bench in the second quarter with three fouls. He helped tear down the Spurs' double-digit lead before halftime and set up a huge third-quarter run.

Bass finished seven of nine from the floor for 14 points. With 45 seconds left in the game and the Spurs desperate to rally, Bass backed down Michael Finley and hit a pretty shot, a dagger, for a nine-point lead.

He also grabbed four rebounds and did his damage in less than 19 minutes.

MEDICAL WATCH:

G/F Jerry Stackhouse (right heel) is out indefinitely.

G/F Devean George (right knee) is out for the rest of the season.